Long live the Lamb!!

This is an excerpt from the blog of Shane Claiborne, author of Jesus for President. He discusses the role of Christians in this year's election.

Our central allegiance is to God’s Kingdom, and we invite everything else in the world to align itself with the norms of that upside-down Kingdom. That is what we endorse, and we stand behind everything and everyone that moves us closer to that - the coming of God’s Kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven.” And we get in the way of everything that contradicts and works against God’s Kingdom - interrupting injustice with grace.

In post-Religious Right America, we want to learn from the mistakes of the generation before us (so we don’t repeat them) - one of which was telling Christians who to vote for. Rather than spoon-feeding people answers, we hope to stir up the right questions - and trust that the Spirit will lead us as we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” One of the places the religious right went wrong was telling people what to do rather than inviting them to think for themselves, with the help of the Spirit of God (in fact, it even seems a real lack of faith to to coerce or convince people to do exactly what we want them to… as if the Spirit is not at work in them). That’s where Jesus shines - he stirs up questions and tells stories that unveil truth, rather than drafting a careful declaration or endorsement that’s going to solve everything wrong in the world.

Folks come out of our JFP shows with all kinds of ideas churning. Some have shared that they are inspired to start an adoption agency to try and decrease the number of abortions. U.S. soldiers have said they are becoming conscientious objectors or are seeking discharge. Some folks have said they are going to organize for one of the candidates, and others have said they are going to write in “Jesus” on Nov. 4. To all of it we say, “Yes!” Thank God the Spirit is at work, and is renewing minds and imaginations in the Church, so that we might follow the command of Romans: “Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Reporters often ask folks leaving our presentations funny questions like: “Young evangelicals are the swing vote in this election… has this evening affected how you are going to vote in November?” I heard one person say beautifully, “That’s the wrong question… the real question is how can we become the change we want to see in the world TODAY and not just hope that every four years we can elect politicians to change the world for us.” May it be so. May we continue to become the change we want to see in the Church and in the world. Enough donkeys and elephants - Long live the Lamb.